Romaine is a widely used type of lettuce.
Lettuce (Latuca sativa L.) is the leading vegetable crop, in terms of production value, grown in the U.S., with more than 90 percent of the production located in Arizona and California. Production in 2009 totaled 9 billion pounds, according to the Agricultural Marketing Center. Four types of lettuce dominate U.S. production, with the predominant being iceberg because it is best adapted for being shipped long distances. The other three commercial varieties are butterhead, romaine and leaf varieties. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Iceburg Lettuce
The iceberg lettuce variety is also known as crisphead. The round head of lettuce is heavy and large with tightly folded leaves. Prominently veined leaves are crisp or brittle in texture. Outer leaves are green with inner leaves that are a whitish-yellow. Iceberg lettuce is widely used in North America.
Butterhead
Butterhead lettuce is also known as bibb, miniature bibb and Boston lettuce. Leaves are soft with a smooth texture. Commercial varieties are bred in outdoor summer conditions and during winter in greenhouse conditions. Summer butterheads are larger than the winter ones, which are also less compact. Butterhead lettuce is most often used in North Europe.
Romaine Lettuce
Romaine lettuce is known in England as cos. Relatively tolerant to heat, the lettuce is cylindrically hearted and upright-growing, with crisp leaves and a distinctive midrib. Slower to bolt than other lettuces, romaine lettuce is useful as a warm weather crop. Romaine lettuce is widely used in South Europe and the U.S.
Leaf Types and Others
Growing leaf types of lettuce, both red and green, has increased due to the demand for packaged salads introduced in the late 1980s. Other commercial lettuces include oak leaf types, summer crisp, French crisp and stem lettuce, which is sold in specialty Asian markets. Batavian lettuce varieties are occasionally classified as loose-heading crisphead types. Batavian lettuce is grown mostly in greenhouses during winter in eastern and northern regions. Outdoor varieties have been developed, and grow mostly in California and Arizona.
Imports and Exports
During 2009, the U.S. imported almost 291 million pounds of lettuce, with more leaf lettuce and romaine being imported than head lettuce. Top countries exporting to the U.S. are Mexico first, followed by Canada. The U.S., a leading exporter of lettuce second only to Spain, shipped 704.9 million pounds of all types of lettuce in 2009. Canada receives about 85 percent of the lettuce exported.
Tags: types lettuce, widely used, also known, Batavian lettuce, Butterhead lettuce, during winter